We All Fall Down
by SapphireRivulet
Summary: AU, slight OOC. Throughout Sasuke Uchiha's life, he was only forced to acknowledge that he had an illegitimate child three times. The first two were easy to ignore. The third would send his life spiraling into pandemonium. Rated for language. Three-shot.
1. Fire

**Awkward moment when I realised that I haven't posted anything new since 2011. Oops. Oh well. This idea attacked me a few months ago. I wrote half a page, and yesterday morning it throttled me and I wrote over 10,000 words in 48 hours. Ow.  
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**Dedication: sleep. Which I'm currently not getting. Thanks story. And uni. *grumbles*  
>Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine. Never has been. Never will be.<strong>

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><p><em>It was his eighteenth birthday. Finally an adult, finally (legally) allowed to do everything he wanted. Itachi, his brother, aged twenty-three, had brought him to a night club. Sasuke downed his eighth shot of bourbon, and it didn't look like he would stop any time soon. The bar-tender saw the empty shot-glass, and re filled it without asking. Everyone knew who he was. Everyone knew he could pay for it.<em>

_A girl sat next to him, and asked for a rum and coke. He looked over his shoulder, expecting to see a gym junkie or a heavily tattooed woman, but instead saw a dainty girl in a short dress, with green eyes and pink (pink!) hair. She was chatting animatedly to a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes._

_The bar-man came back with the drink, but before she could pay Sasuke brushed her hand aside and told the man to put it on his tab._

_"Oh, uh, thanks," shouted the girl in her quest to be heard above the nightclub's thunderous din. Sasuke nodded at her. He'd never had sex with a girl who had pink hair before. May as well tick another off the list._

_The girl looked at her blonde-haired friend for about half a minute, and Sasuke could swear that they were having a full-blown conversation. He frowned. He didn't like not knowing what they were saying._

_The pink-haired girl turned back to him. "My name's Sakura," she said loudly, leaning close to his ear so that he could hear her. "Do you want to dance?"_

_He paid the bar-tender and walked into the crowd with her, his hand held loosely in her fingertips._

**.:{x}:.**

_He woke up in her apartment the next morning, naked. It had been a good night. She was good in bed. Surprisingly good. And though he'd had a small heart attack when he saw that the condom had broken, she had reassured him that she was on the pill and he didn't need to worry._

_He looked back at her sleeping form as he pulled on his pants. She was eighteen, like him. Her name was Sakura. She was studying medicine at the local university. They hadn't talked much past that. It didn't hurt that she was incredibly attractive either._

_He found his shirt, then wrote her a note before leaving._

_7429-634-921-8  
>Call me if you want.<br>- Sasuke Uchiha_

_He didn't hear from her for four months._

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><p>Throughout Sasuke Uchiha's life, he was only forced to acknowledge that he had an illegitimate child three times.<p>

The first time was in the form of a letter from the child's mother, letting him know out of courtesy that she was pregnant, that the child was definitely his, and that she was keeping it.

The second time was five months later, this time a picture of a new born baby (it really looked more like a lumpy potato with black hair) accompanied by another letter, announcing the child's birth and asking if he would like any part in its life.

(Sasuke never actually replied to either letter. He looked at the situation like it was a problem, and if he ignored it, it would go away.)

The third time was nearly thirteen years later, and started out as a phone call. The third time ended in a downward spiral, which would see Sasuke's once perfect and trouble-free life shattered and replaced with pandemonium

It would be a long time before Sasuke was sure if it was a good thing or not.

* * *

><p>It was Sasuke's day off – his first one in months. And it had started out as a good day. He had woken up late, made a nice breakfast that he had time to taste, and had read the local newspaper. He had been able to enjoy his shower and wear comfortable clothes, and was just considering going out for a walk when his phone rang.<p>

While surprised, Sasuke had merely assumed it was his brother, calling about some ever-important business problem that they would both need to solve.

Much to his surprise, however, it was a woman's voice.

"Sasuke Uchiha?" she said, and Sasuke made a noise in the affirmative. "My name is Anko Mitarashi. I work with Konoha Welfare System, and I need you to come here as soon as you're able."

Sasuke grunted. Konoha Welfare System? What on earth could they possibly want with him? Weren't they some sort of foster home placement or something?

"Why?" he asked, feeling that he deserved some form of explanation. If he was going to waste time on his day off, it had better be for a good reason.

"It's better for me to explain this face to face, Uchiha. I must insist that you come here immediately. It's of the utmost importance."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and hung up. The very idea of going there exhausted him. But his curiosity was sparked. So with a heavy sigh, Sasuke pulled on some more public-appropriate clothing and drove towards the dingy Konoha Welfare System building. The place was on the other side of Konoha, and by the end of the drive, Sasuke was feeling extremely irritable. This Anko lady had better have a damn good reason for dragging him all the way down there…

"Sasuke Uchiha?"

Said man looked up to see a fit young woman with short dark hair standing at the entry-way.

"Ah," Sasuke affirmed, narrowing his eyes at her. He assumed that this was Anko, and was proven right upon seeing her name tag.

"Follow me please. Thanks for coming."

He followed her inside the building. The place seemed to be in drastic need of money, as the walls were made of concrete and people were milling about. Paper was flying everywhere and general chaos was erupting.

Anko showed him in to a small office-like room, with a cheap desk and two plastic chairs occupying the space. One of the chairs was already taken by a girl who couldn't be older than twelve. She had pale skin, shoulder-length black hair, and her green eyes were glaring intently at her shoes. A lumpy back-pack was lying carelessly at her side.

This only served to further Sasuke's confusion.

"Sit, Sasuke," said Anko, indicating the free chair. Sasuke eyed it warily. Sit? On that? And get chlamydia? No thanks. He stayed standing.

Anko sighed and took her own seat.

"Fine. Sasuke, this girl is Ayame Haruno. Last week her mother passed away in a house fire."

"I don't see what that has to do with me," Sasuke interrupted, growing more impatient with every word that fell from Anko's mouth.

"It has everything to do with you," Anko snapped back, evidently in no mood for an argument. "Ayame has only got one living relative, and according to her birth certificate, that person is you."

Sasuke was about ready to growl back that he'd never even heard of the girl, when Anko fixed him with a deadly glare.

"You're her father, Sasuke."

He felt his stomach drop.

_Oh no._

_Oh _fuck_ no._

Anko had probably seen the blood leave his face, as she kicked the chair towards him and he almost gratefully fell in to it. Dignity be damned.

"So, her options at the moment, as she is not a legal adult and has no legal guardian, is to either get placed with a foster family, or go with you and have you sign to be her full-time legal guardian. The foster system is already too full as it is. I don't want to risk her safety unless I have no other option. Ayame has already made it clear that she'd rather go with you than live in foster care, and I have to say that I agree with her. Your business, family, and wealth is infamous. You can provide for her. I cannot guarantee that a foster family will. Every measure is always taken to ensure the safety of our kids, but unfortunately, the reality is that sometimes a family is just no good. I knew Ayame's mother. I swore to her that -"

"I want to get a DNA test," Sasuke interrupted, the idea latching itself as some beacon of hope in his mind. "I demand to be tested."

Anko clucked her tongue and shook her head. "Her mother already had one done when Ayame was a baby. She's yours, whether you like it or not. Obviously the system cannot force you to take her against your will, but it is strongly recommended that you do."

Sasuke eyed the girl from his peripherals. She was on the precipice of puberty, and looked like one day she might be pretty. At the moment, however, her limbs were too long for her body and her face had a bit too much baby-fat in it to be considered really beautiful. He could already see the family resemblance though. She had his black hair, his nose, and the arrogant tilt to her chin that was so well known amongst the Uchiha clan. She had her mother's startling green eyes, however, and her creamy skin. He hadn't seen the girl's mother after that one night stand nearly thirteen years ago, but those eyes had stuck with him.

He was secretly grateful that she didn't inherit the pink hair.

Despite what the public thought, Sasuke actually did have a conscience. He wasn't exactly keen to take the girl in. He could probably make a ten-foot list of things he was more keen to do, to be honest. But letting a girl be potentially abused in a foster home was not on that list.

Whether he wanted to admit it, she _was_ blood, and Uchiha's took care of their own. As much as necessary, anyway.

"How long until you can guarantee she'd get a place with a safe foster family?" he asked, and Anko narrowed her eyes at him.

"Supply and demand, Uchiha," Anko said. He could tell that she didn't like him. He didn't care. "We have a lot of kids here. Not a lot of people volunteer to take in kids over the age of five. Even less actually have a decent reason for volunteering. It's the sad truth. We pride ourselves on ensuring safety for all the kids who go in, but it takes time."

"Just tell me how long," Sasuke insisted behind gritted teeth.

"Two months. At least," she said.

"Two months, then," Sasuke said, standing. "Not a day more."

Anko narrowed her eyes at him. She nodded slowly, and Sasuke could see the effort it cost her. "I'll need you to sign a few things."

"Email them." He smacked a card down on the desk with his details printed on it, then walked out of the building, trying to not breathe too much of it in. He made it back to the safety of his car and watched as the girl called Ayame was fiercely embraced by the woman named Anko. She didn't return the hug. The older woman whispered a few things, and the girl nodded as if she wasn't really interested, before she descended the steps and got into Sasuke's car. She threw her bag on the back seat, and Sasuke's eye twitched in annoyance.

"First rule," he said, reaching back and dumping the bag in her lap. "Don't throw your shit around."

"Whatever," Ayame replied, and turned to look out the window.

They didn't speak for the rest of the drive home. Sasuke's wonderful day off had turned into a two-month babysitting venture, and to say that he was pissed would be an understatement.

_Damn that fucking condom for fucking breaking. Damn that girl for saying she was on the pill. Damn her for not aborting._

By the time he pulled into his car-space, he was _livid._

"Get your shit and follow me."

She did so without a word. Sasuke didn't care that he was being incredibly rude to his illegitimate daughter. The sooner she was gone, the better, in his opinion.

He opened the door to his apartment and walked in, not bothering to keep the door open for her, and walked straight to the guest room.

"This is your room," he said as she came to stand beside him. "Keep it tidy. Don't leave your shit lying around. Don't bring your shit out into the apartment."

"So act like I don't exist?" She turned steady green eyes on him. They made him feel somewhat unnerved, and he didn't like the sensation.

"Wherever possible."

She looked away and began to walk into the room. "You must be pretty good at that by now."

He closed the door behind her. Later, when he'd eaten dinner and she hadn't come out of the room yet, he pretended to not hear her crying.

**.:{x}:.**

The next morning, when he had gotten up and ready, and was just about to leave for work, he remembered something.

It was a Monday. Which meant that the girl probably had school. He opened her door and turned the light on, rudely waking her up.

"Get up," he barked, and opened the blinds to let sunshine through. "It's a school day. You have school, don't you?"

"Not during school holidays," she growled at him, and buried her face into the pillow. "Go away."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and left for work.

Once there, he marched straight for Itachi's office, his murderous expression deterring any who may try and talk to him.

Itachi raised his impassive eyes the moment his door slammed shut behind Sasuke.

"You seem irritated," he said monotonously, and Sasuke wasn't sure if he heard the sarcasm in his voice correctly or not.

Sasuke raised his hands in the air, frustration and anger winning out. There were no words for how he was feeling.

Itachi sighed. "Sit, little brother."

Sasuke sat obediently, head falling into his hands. Itachi said nothing, waiting patiently for Sasuke to tell him what was wrong. Eventually, he spoke.

"I have a child," he said weakly, and, despite himself, Itachi raised a shocked brow. He was expecting Sasuke to say many things. That was not one of them. At thirty years of age, Sasuke had yet to be in a relationship for more than six months, let alone have a child. He had seemed happy being the forever bachelor.

"Her name is Ayame."

"You already know the sex?" Itachi interrupted, and Sasuke glared at him.

"She's twelve."

"Months?"

"Years."

It didn't take a genius to do the math. But before Itachi could interrupt again, Sasuke had continued.

"She was illegitimate. And yes, I've known about her. I've had no interest in her. And the mother seemed okay with that. Until yesterday, anyway. Konoha Welfare called and told me to take her. The mother died, and they can't guarantee a safe foster home for her for two months. Kami, what will the media say to _this_?" Sasuke could see it in his mind's eye. _Uchiha Heir: Doting Father or Irresponsible Bachelor? Turn To Page Three For All The Details!_ He nearly gagged.

"You look ill, little brother," Itachi said, concern lining his tone. "Maybe you should go home."

"I'm trying to avoid that," Sasuke spat.

"I think that this'll be good for you," Itachi offered calmly, unflinchingly looking at Sasuke's venomous stare. "You're thirty years old, Sasuke. You can't keep partying forever. This might teach you some responsibility."

Sasuke couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I have no interest in forming a bond with someone who'll be out of my life _permanently_ in two months."

"Maybe you should give her a chance. You might surprise yourself."

Not wanting to hear any more, Sasuke pushed his chair out forcefully and left the room, escaping Itachi's traitorous words.

After driving around in his car for three hours, he did go home. He would have to eventually. When he opened his door, he could almost believe that there wasn't another person in the house.

Then he saw her shoes next to the door, and he was half tempted to throw them at her. He had told her to not leave her shit lying around, dammit!

He went to the bathroom, intent on showering, and found (to his disdain) that the toilet seat was down. He swallowed the scream that was building and walked out. _Forget the fucking shower._

Knowing that eating would at least solve the emptiness in his stomach, he opened the fridge – and slammed it behind him.

He was going to _murder_ her.

She left her shoes lying around.

She left the toilet seat down.

And she _ate_ his _fucking tomatoes._

He rammed his fist against her door.

"What?" her voice yelled back, already on the defensive.

"What the hell are you doing!" he shouted at her, nerves on edge.

"Nothing! Leave me alone!" Ayame retaliated, her voice tinged with frustration and the barest thread of fear.

"Who told you that you could eat my food?"

"I was hungry! No one told me I was supposed to get my own. My bad for thinking that my _father_ would actually _care_ enough to let me share!" she shrieked through the door. She sounded close to tears.

"Don't do it again." He pounded on her door in warning, fuming. How _dare_ she? Who did she think she was? He felt he could've gone in there and throttled her, but figured that that would be considered abusive. As if the press would need any more stimulus. He walked to his room and threw himself onto his bed, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands.

He wasn't cut out for this. The sooner she was gone, the better. He couldn't wait to be rid of her.

Later, when he'd made dinner and was about to go to sleep, he heard her choking back tears and talking to someone. He stilled.

"H-hey mum," he heard her say. He narrowed his eyes. _Her mother is dead. How could she be talking to her?_

"I-I know you can't answer. I just… your voicemail is all I've got. I j-just wanted to hear your voice again."

Sasuke's chest plummeted. _She's calling her mum's phone._

She let out something that was a cross between a sob and a nervous giggle. "I know I must've left about f-fifty of these now. I'm sorry if that's a-annoying." Sasuke could her a few more tears rip from her throat as she continued. "I r-really miss you, mum. I-I wish you were h-here. It's not the same. Y-you told me her was n-_nice._ B-but he's so m-_mean,_ mum. He just _yells_ at me, _all the time,_ and I just don't know what to d-_do._ I want you back. I miss you so much. P-_please_ come back. I'm so scared and lonely and none of my friends are answering their phones and… and…"

Sasuke looked at his shoes, feeling guilt well up inside him. He remembered that she was only twelve and had just lost her mum. Maybe he had been a bit too harsh on her.

"I-I need to go to sleep now. Good night. I l-love you, mum."

He heard the beep as she ended the call, and the rustle of blankets as she got into bed. She was trying to be quiet, but her cries still echoed throughout the hallway. Sasuke went to bed, his stomach in knots and chest heavy.

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><p><strong>So uh... what do you think? Let me know, I'd love to hear from you. If this happens to make it's way on to anyone's favourite's list, I will love you forever if you could please leave a review. Everything but flames are welcome! <strong>** This shall be a three-shot. Next chapter shall be up next Sunday, last one shall be up the Sunday after that. That's the plan, anyway.**

**Thanks for reading! Much love, Sapphire xo**


	2. Ashes

**Ahh! Thank you for all your lovely reviews, they make me so happy. It's so good to be back again. I missed you guys, I really did.  
>Just to clear it up, yes, Sakura is 110% dead in this. I needed to put her in the pairings as, due to the fact that her relationship with Ayame and Sasuke is explored throughout the story, I would've gotten in trouble had I not included her. It'd be like false advertising, one might say.<strong>

**Dedication: reviewers! You make the fanfiction world go round!  
>Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or any associated characters. Only my story ideas and OCs.<strong>

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><p><em>It was raining when he got home, but he opened the mailbox before running inside, shaking water droplets out of his hair. He had just finished his second term of university, and was looking forward to the break.<em>

_He thumbed through the envelopes, absent-mindedly checking to make sure that none were addressed to him._

_He stopped when he came across one that was._

Sasuke Uchiha

_It read in neat, curly handwriting. He threw the others aside and, curiously, opened it._

Dear Sasuke, _it read._

I don't know if you remember me. Sakura Haruno? The one with pink hair? We had a one night stand about four months ago.

_Sasuke did remember her. He let out a small smile, remembering the night. It had been a good night._

I realise that what I'm about to tell you may come as a shock, so before you freak out I just wanted to reassure you that I don't want anything from you. Not your money, or your time, or anything, really. I won't go to the press, I won't tell anyone, so you don't have to worry about anything, unless you want to.

Do you remember how your condom broke? I took my pill on time every day, but the pill only has a 97% success rate. And… it didn't work. I'm pregnant, and I know it's yours because I hadn't had sex in about the six months before you and I haven't slept with anyone since. I'm four months pregnant, and I'm keeping her.

If you want to be a part of her life, you're more than welcome, but I don't expect you to be. You didn't get a say in this. I won't make you. I just figured that, in case you do, you have a right to know that you have a daughter. You know where I live, so if you want, you can come over and we can talk, and if not then that's up to you.

- Sakura Haruno.

_In shock, or anger, or disbelief, he scrunched up the paper and threw it into the fireplace. He felt ill. He almost ran to his room, resisting the urge to scream._

_A child. A _child!_ His child! He worked to calm his breathing and tried to reason with himself._

_She said she wouldn't seek compensation. Not money, not attention, not anything. She had seemed sincere in her letter. She had seemed like a reasonable person that night. Sasuke took a deep breath to steady his racing heartbeat. He would ignore it. If he ignored it, then it would go away._

_He nodded to himself, and fell asleep._

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><p>It had been a month. He had stopped yelling at her. He told himself that that was an improvement. And he bought extra tomatoes, because apparently she liked them as much as he did.<p>

Silly thing had actually _believed_ him when he insinuated that she should buy her own food.

"_You're twelve,"_ he had told her, then pushed a tomato towards her, effectively ending her protest.

He didn't really talk to her very much. She stayed in her room, mostly. Except for when she had school.

After he had heard her calling her mum, he'd figured that he didn't necessarily have to _like_ her presence, but that didn't mean that her time with him had to be painful. They lived in each other's presence, not really acknowledging the other.

The news had hit the media within a week of her being there, and the headlines were worse than he could've imagined. Mostly, he avoided all journalists and media-outlets. That didn't stop them from stalking him, or camping outside his work or house. It had gotten to the point where he had to actually _drive_ Ayame to school, just so that she wouldn't get harassed. He had released a statement through his company.

_Ayame is an illegitimate child who recently lost her mother. She will be in my care until such time as suitable and permanent accommodation can be found for her. Out of respect, we express our wish that you give us the privacy that is needed in such a difficult time._

They had ignored it, of course. "Inside sources" had provided "truthful information" regarding both Sasuke and Ayame, and Sasuke had vowed to fire anyone who sought money for adding to the flames.

So far, fifteen people had lost their job.

The whole situation was a complete nightmare, but after three weeks it was finally starting to calm down. There were other headlines adorning the front page, and his story had been relegated to a small paragraph, twelve pages deep in the newspaper. News crews no longer camped in front of his apartment, and Ayame could finally catch the bus to school.

She still cried each night. He heard her sobs from his room, even though he could tell she tried to be quiet. He heard her every now and then calling her mum, updating her on what life was like.

He figured that in that first month, the two of them hadn't said more than a hundred words to each other. He was okay with that. She seemed to be okay with that.

So that's why, on a Friday morning, just as he was about to walk out the door for work, he was startled to hear her shriek out his name, fear soaking her voice.

The noise came from the bathroom, and he figured she must have fallen over or something.

"What?" he asked, standing outside the door.

"I… I… help me! I… I don't…"

He opened the door to find her sitting on the ground, a towel around her waist and underwear in her hands. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

He was baffled by the sight. She didn't look injured. "What?" he reiterated, and she held up the fabric in her hands.

There was blood on it, and he fought to not let the panic show on his face. _Why was she bleeding? Was she dying? Gods, the media would tear him apart if she died on his watch!_

"Why are you bleeding?" he managed to ask instead, amazed at how calm he sounded.

"I think I just got my period," she said tearfully. "I don't know what to do. Mum never taught me. And my tummy really hurts and there's blood everywhere and…" she broke into a round of hysterical sobs, while Sasuke stood there in stunned silence.

He wasn't equipped to deal with this. His mother had died when he was young. It had been just him, his dad, and his brother. Girls he had dated would just reject his company for a week, and eat chocolate. He had no idea what a period actually _was_, let alone how to deal with one.

"Don't they teach you this stuff in school?" he asked hopefully.

She looked at him with tear-stained eyes. "Not really. I just know that when a girl hits puberty she gets them. I don't know anything other than that."

Starting to freak out, Sasuke did what he always did when in a crisis: he called his brother.

"Sasuke?" Itachi's calm voice echoed through the phone.

"What do you know about periods?" Sasuke asked quickly, trying to not let desperation tinge his tone.

"Periods? Why?" Itachi sounded more than a little curious, and Sasuke wanted to hit something.

"Ayame just got them and I have no idea what to do and neither does she." He sent a quiet curse to the education system before looking back at the girl. She was curled into a ball and weeping quietly to herself, moaning slightly. She looked in pain.

He pretended not to hear Itachi chuckle quietly to himself. "I'll send Konan around. She'll know what to do."

Sasuke hung up and repressed a sigh.

"Uh, help's coming," he informed her, and she nodded lightly. "I'll uh… I need to go…"

"Please don't go," she whispered, so quietly he almost didn't hear it. "P-please… please stay."

Sasuke could feel his skin crawl with discomfort. This wasn't his area of expertise. But he let out a sigh and sat on the toilet. After a moment, he hesitatingly put his hand on her shoulder. She shuddered and put her hand over his. "Please don't leave," she said quietly and turned to look at him. Her eyes had gone a brilliant shade of emerald green with her tears, and he just nodded, not looking away.

"Okay," he finally said.

It took sixteen minutes and forty-one seconds for Konan to come bustling through the doors, a small bag in her hands.

It was the longest sixteen minutes and forty-one seconds of Sasuke's life.

She looked at Sasuke with exasperation, before looking at Ayame with pity. "Oh you poor thing," she said gently, kneeling next to the girl. "You must be Ayame. I'm Konan, Sasuke's sister-in-law. Come on, let's get you cleaned up." She looked at Sasuke. "You, out. But stay in the apartment. I'll need you later. So will she."

Sasuke needed no more reason to leave, and closed the door as Konan helped Ayame to her feet.

He sat in the living room, agitatedly checking his watch every few seconds. He was going to be _so_ later for work. Why did she have to start her period now? Why couldn't it have been when she'd left? Couldn't she just… hold it in for a few more months or something? He scowled. Just then, the shower started and Konan left the bathroom.

"I've called Itachi and let him know you won't be coming in today," she said as she sat down next to him. Sasuke, in return, jumped to his feet.

"You _what?_ That's not your call to make, Konan! I have to go to work!"

Konan shook her head and patted the seat next to her. "Sasuke, you might not want to hear it, but your daughter is in there. She is scared and lonely and in pain, and right now she needs you. You're all she has."

Sasuke finally sat down next to her. "I can't be that," he said eventually. "She'll be gone in a month. I never wanted her here in the first place."

He felt waves of rage radiating off Konan, and chose to ignore them. He heard her take a deep breath to calm herself, but when she spoke her voice was still shaky. "Have you even tried to get to know her? She's a good kid, Sasuke. I've known her for what, ten minutes? And I can already tell. I don't care if it's _convenient_ for you to get to know her, she is your _daughter,_ and that owes a certain level of responsibility. It doesn't matter that her mother gave you the option of being in her life when she was born, you don't get that option at the moment. And quite honestly, I can tell that if you choose to ignore her for the rest of your life now, you're going to regret it."

It was Sasuke's turn to be furious. His fists were clenched and shaking, and it took all his restraint to keep his voice low.

"I don't want anything to do with her," he hissed. "This thing, at the moment, this is only temporary. She'll be gone soon, and then everything will go back to normal. As far as I'm concerned, her mother should have aborted her. Then I wouldn't be in this mess."

In his anger, he hadn't heard the shower turn off. It was only once Konan noticed the silence that he realised, and a quick search of his apartment revealed that Ayame wasn't there.

"Your front door is open," said Konan, glaring at Sasuke. "She must've heard you and run away. Well done. I hope you're happy."

Sasuke just growled and grabbed his keys and phone. "Are you coming?" he called out, and Konan followed him.

"What's her number?" she asked as they stepped into the elevator.

Sasuke purposefully chose not to look at her when he replied: "I don't have it."

He could _feel_ her eyes rolling. The elevator doors opened, and they stepped out into the quickly warming morning air.

"She can't have gone too far," said Konan hopefully, getting into her own car. "You go left and I'll go right. We'll find her."

Sasuke was livid at the fact that she was giving him orders, but he didn't retaliate. In a way, this was all his fault. He slid into his car and went left, driving slowly, ignoring the protesting drivers that were tailgating him, and looking down every side-street he passed. After ten minutes of fruitless searching, and frustration levels reaching breaking point, he called Konan.

"You found her yet?" asked Konan before he could get a word in.

"No," said Sasuke through gritted teeth. "You?"

"Yes, Sasuke. That's why I asked if you'd found her. _No,_ I haven't bloody found her." Her voice was dripping sarcasm, and Sasuke hung up the phone, not interested in a lecture. He continued searching, wondering how the hell she had managed to get so far in such a short space of time.

That was when he saw her small figure curled up next to a bin in an alleyway.

Breaking several laws, he did a U-turn and parked, barely avoiding at least three cars as he did so. She looked up at the noise and, seeing him emerging from his car, started walking immediately, wiping at her eyes as she did so.

"Ayame, wait!" Sasuke called out, following after her. She ignored him and continued jogging, not looking back.

_Dammit, she's fast,_ he thought to himself as he picked up his pace, weaving in and out of people who were inadvertently blocking his path. Ayame, however, ducked and dodged with ease, slipping through cracks he wouldn't have been able to manage.

"Hey, stop!" he called out again, and again, she ignored him. Feeling his lungs start to tire, he moved as fast as he could through the crowd. He wanted this chase to be over as fast as possible.

Finally he caught her, latching on to her shoulder and turning her around.

"Let go of me, Sasuke!" she shouted at him, struggling to get out of his grip. Sasuke was keenly aware of the stares they were quickly attracting, and smiled uncomfortably at them in reassurance.

"Just my daughter," he said uneasily to the crowd, then turned back to her. "Can we not do this here?"

"I'm only your daughter when it suits you," she spat back at him. "Let me go, I don't want you, I want my mum back!"

He shook his head in agitation. "Look, we both want your mum back, but that can't happen. Let's go home. I don't want to do this here." There was still people staring at them, and he just knew that this was going to hit the papers in the morning.

"I don't want to go back with you, I want to go back to my house. I want my mum back. Let me go, Sasuke! I hate you!"

He had just about had enough. "Look, I get that you want your mum back, but you can wish for that all you want. That doesn't change the fact that your mum is dead and right now I'm all you've got. What're you gonna do? Sleep on a pile of ashes? You don't have a house to go back to. Now get in the damn car before I have to throw you in."

She had gone silent, her green eyes wide and staring. "Get in the car, Ayame," he said, softer, a little more gently. She was paler than normal; her hands had started to shake, and he realised that what he had said was probably the _worst_ thing he could possibly say to a twelve year old. Noticing the crowd that was surrounding them, he pinched the bridge of his nose, before gathering her in his arms and carrying her back, unresisting.

She didn't say a word as he strapped her in, but had curled as far away from the driver's seat as possible by the time he seated himself.

She was silent the whole trip back, and Konan was waiting for them as he pulled in. She went straight to Ayame and opened the door. Ayame looked at her, but was otherwise unresponsive.

"What the hell have you done?" Konan demanded, undoing the girl's seatbelt and helping her out of the car.

Sasuke shrugged. "I said the wrong thing." He had never seen Konan so absolutely furious before, and walked away from her rage as fast as possible. He got to his apartment and left the door open for them, and a few moments later Konan was leading a near-catatonic Ayame towards her bedroom.

"You lie down, sweetie. I'll get a hot water bottle for you. Try and get some sleep now, okay?" She nodded silently and headed towards her room. Within minutes, Konan had provided the hot water bottle, and the next she was glaring down at Sasuke with such venomous anger Sasuke was sure he'd spontaneously combust.

"What. The. _Fuck._ What the hell did you do to her? She's almost completely unresponsive. She's cold and shaking and… seriously… what the _hell_ did you do?"

Sasuke briefly recounted the words he'd said, and could see the effort it cost Konan to not strike him.

"I'm going to say this once. Once, Sasuke. And you'd better fucking listen to me otherwise I'll make you regret it for the rest of your life."

He felt a genuine sliver of fear slide down his spine.

"Whether you like it or not, you have a daughter. And recently, her mother died. Right now, you are the only stability in her life. So you had better start _acting_ like a fucking adult. Grow up, Sasuke! You're thirty years old. Not three. You had better start learning to take some fucking responsibility for your actions, because you've been running from that for twelve years. You have just _traumatised_ your own _daughter_, because you couldn't take a little responsibility for your own actions and blamed her for not only being born, but for being here with you. You're a terrible person. She doesn't deserve to be treated like that. Especially not by you, her _father,_ who has been happily absent from her, her entire life. Now if you don't go into her room right now and at least _try_ to apologise, I'll make sure that you are completely disowned from your family's entire corporation."

Sasuke opened his mouth to protest, but upon seeing the murderous glint in her eyes, decided against it. Instead, he nodded, and got to his feet and walked to her door.

"Ayame?" he said, and when there was no response, opened the door. She was lying on top of the blankets, curled in a tight ball. The bright blue water bottle was clamped to her abdomen.

"Go away," she said quietly, and scooted away from him. "Just leave me alone. I don't want to talk to you."

He sat on the edge of her bed, looking at his hands. "Look, Ayame, what I said back there was wrong." The words felt like lead on his tongue, but he continued nevertheless. "I shouldn't have said them, and I apologise."

He remained seated on the edge of her bed, waiting for a response. She didn't say anything, but he felt it would make everything worse if he left before she did.

"Do you hate me?" she eventually asked quietly, and they weren't the words he was expecting. "You said you wish I was aborted. I'm not really sure what that means, but it doesn't sound nice. You said you never wanted me, but I always wanted you. I never told anyone, but whenever I'd blow out the candles on my birthday, I always wished that you would come to my next party. Mum used to say that as long as she was there, I didn't need you, but I'd still miss you on father's day. I wanted you _so bad_, but you never wanted me, did you?"

There was something about the way she so innocently said that that had his stomach churning and forced his head into his hands. "I don't hate you, Ayame," he eventually said. "I never hated you."

He began to hate himself as she started to cry. "I wish I could've told mummy that," she choked, and curled further into her pillow. He bit back tears of his own, and resisted the urge to leave the room. He resolved to stay until she believed him.

* * *

><p><strong>So... what do you think? Let me know in your review! Again, if this happens to find it's way onto anyone's favourites list, it would be amazing if you could pretty please leave a review. I'd really appreciate it.<strong>

**Next chapter will be out next Sunday (or Saturday, depending on where you are in the world). Thank you for reading!**

**- SapphireRivulet xo**


	3. Rebirth

**Oh my goodness, can you taste the canon? It's so close, one more week, and then we'll get our SasuSaku canon!**

**Anyway, thank you so much to the lovely people who reviewed. It was so nice to hear from you. Just wondering, was last chapter not that great? I just get a bit worried when I get X amount of reviews for one chapter, then half that for the next. I'm still really grateful to everyone who did review though, thank you so much :)**

**Dedication: Halloween and dressing up.  
>Disclaimer: Naruto not mine.<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Five months later, another letter came in the mail. Upon seeing his name written in neat, curly handwriting, he felt his gut clench and pondered for a moment if he should throw it into the fire before reading what was inside. But in the end, curiosity won out. He walked to his room and slowly, with trembling hands, broke the seal.<em>

_The first thing that fell out was a photo._

_It was a baby, held in the arms of a young woman with pink hair. The child was probably only a few days old. It had a small lick of black hair, with green eyes and rosy lips. Its skin was still slightly discoloured, and it was incredibly chubby. The young woman seemed tired, but there was no denying the love on her face as she stared at her child. It was as if there was no one else in the universe. He stared at the photo for a lot longer than he would ever care to admit, before eventually putting it to the side and looking at the accompanying letter._

Dear Sasuke, _it read._

You never replied to my last letter. To be honest, I've been fighting myself on whether to send this for a few weeks now. Her name is Ayame. She was born on April 9th at 7:44 in the morning. And she is so perfect.

I don't know what I wanted to achieve with this. What I said last time still stands: if you want to have a part in her life, that's up to you. I won't ask you for money, I won't go to the press, I won't do anything. I had a DNA test done at the hospital after she was born, and she's definitely yours.

I guess I thought I might just give you one last opportunity to reply. I feel like your life could be richer for having her in it. She really is beautiful. I've enclosed a photo of her. I thought that you might like to see what she looks like. She has your hair, and I'm pretty sure she's got your nose, too.

Anyway, if you don't want her, that's up to you. I want her. She'll grow up happy and loved, whether you take part in her life or not. I never want her to feel unloved. She is my world, even if she won't be a part of yours. But I sincerely hope that you think about it. I'll be in my apartment for another month. After that, I'm moving. I hope you come to see us before I do. I genuinely want you to be a part of her life, if not for me, then for her.

- Sakura and Ayame Haruno.

_Sasuke scrunched the letter up in his fist, at complete crossroads. He didn't know what to do. And the shame that his father would heap on him if he found out what had happened would see him disowned from the family. No, he couldn't be a part of this child's life. It would ruin his life. He walked out to the living room, intent on, once again, burning the letter and the photo._

_He watched with a sad fascination as the paper folded with the heat and slowly disintegrated into ash, before moving to throw the photo in too._

_But as much as he wanted to, he couldn't. It would feel like an insult. He looked at the photo of the small child – _his_ small child – then slipped back into his room and put it into a small safe at the back of his wardrobe._

No one need ever find out,_ he thought to himself, and closed the door._

_Every year, on the ninth of April, he would take out the photo and look at it, wondering what his daughter looked like now._

* * *

><p>She was only going to be with him for one more week, but somehow he couldn't muster up the ability to feel excited or even relieved at the prospect. Instead, he only felt empty.<p>

He reasoned with himself that it was only because she was his child, and she would have that effect on him whether he wanted her to or not. He wouldn't admit to himself that he would actually _miss_ her.

Things had changed in the past three weeks. He had decided that he didn't want her to be unhappy. She was his child. He had a duty to at least try and make her not hate him. Konan had been a big help with that. She called nearly every day to check up on them both, visited every other day, and advised Sasuke on what was best to do in regards to Ayame when he was lost.

He watched as she started to get ready for school, and attempted to pull her hair back into a pony tail. She got irritated as small strands kept falling out, and a crease formed between her eyebrows.

"Sasuke, can you help me?" she eventually asked, admitting defeat.

He swallowed his anxiety and rose to help her, taking the small pink hair band she offered him and settled it around his wrist.

"It's not going to be very well done," he advised her. "My brother's better at this. He always wears his hair in a ponytail."

He began juggling with the brush and her hair. Every time he thought he'd finally managed it, another section would fall out of his hands. It was so silky he couldn't hold it properly. Ayame just waited patiently for him to finish. He caught her occasionally looking at him through the mirror, a small bit of humour in her eyes, but not finding its way onto her mouth.

After battling for at least ten minutes, he was finally able to secure all the strands into an incredibly messy ponytail. She took the brush out of his hands with a whispered, "Thanks, Sasuke."

On impulse, or a sudden spark of spontaneity, he said: "Ayame, did you want to do something today?"

As soon as the words were out he wanted to snatch them back. Wearily, he eyed her as she turned to face him.

"What do you mean?" she asked, the barest hint of curiosity lacing her tone. "I have school today."

He sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "Look, you're only going to be here for another week. I thought we might try and do something fun before you go."

Ayame looked genuinely baffled by the statement, as if she was waiting for him to tell her it was a joke. "You want to do something with me?" she questioned cautiously, not quite believing the words as they came out of her mouth. "But you never want to do anything with me."

He sighed and looked away from her. "You don't have to. I thought it'd be a good idea. Forget it." He began to get himself ready for work, ignoring the fact that she was still staring at him.

"No, I'd like to do something," she said eventually, a little bit of confidence in her voice. "I want to go to the zoo."

He looked at her through the mirror, then nodded. "Okay, go get dressed for it."

He called Itachi, and as soon as he said her name, Itachi told him not to worry about work that day.

**.:{x}:.**

The car ride was more uncomfortable that he cared to admit. He didn't quite know how to act around her. And she seemed to feel the same way. They were like strangers, even though they were blood.

He found a park, and paid for their admission, picking up a map on their way through the entrance.

"What do you want to see first?" he asked, assuming that she should get the first choice.

"The tigers," she said confidently.

He traced the route to the tiger's enclosure, then headed in the direction he was sure that they could be found. After twenty minutes, and more than a few wrong turns, they finally made it, only to find that the animals were out of sight. He saw Ayame's shoulders slump with disappointment, and came to stand behind her.

"You'll have to come back another time," he said to her, and she nodded.

"I really wanted to see them, though," she said.

"There's plenty of other animals -"

"But I wanted to see _them_," she insisted, and he saw to his horror that she was tearing up. "They were mum's favourite. She always said that we would come to the zoo together to see them, and they're not here and neither is _she,_" she cried, throwing herself onto the ground.

Sasuke wanted to bang his head against the railing. Even when he tried to do the right thing it backfired. "Look, Ayame," he said, kneeling down next to her, hoping that the right words came out of his mouth. "Maybe they've just been taken out to be fed. Let's go look at some other animals and come back later."

She nodded, accepting his attempts at comforting. "O-okay," she hiccoughed, allowing Sasuke to help her to her feet.

After that, they went to the penguins, the lions, the elephants, and the giraffes. And somewhere along the line, Sasuke discovered that he was having _fun._ After looking over his shoulder and seeing the small smile on Ayame's face and her flushed cheeks, he realised that she was enjoying herself as much as he was.

It was the best he had felt in a long time. _He_ was making her happy. _Him._ No one else. It neared lunch time and they found a stall selling hot, greasy food. He ordered Ayame some chicken and chips, and resigned himself to some fish.

They sat in silence for a while, before Ayame said suddenly, "Sasuke, I don't hate you."

He shot her a surprised look. "Thanks… uh, why do you say that?"

She shrugged. "The last time I said that to someone they -" she choked on her words and, after staring at the chip in her hand for a long moment, stood up and abruptly started walking. Sasuke decided that trying to keep up with Ayame's mood swings was exhausting.

"Hey, wait up," he called out, throwing the remainder of their food in the bin and racing after her. He caught her shoulder and whirled her around. "What was that about?"

She shook her head. "I just don't hate you, okay? I said it to you when I ran away, and I just wanted you to know I don't hate you." She pushed his hand off and took off running. Sasuke could see the tears in her eyes and shook his head. She was exhausting. He followed her and found her standing at the tiger's enclosure. The animals had been returned, and they were prowling around through the brush or lying down on the foliaged floor.

"What were you going to say earlier?" he asked her, puffed from the running. She didn't seem to be out of breath at all.

She shook her head. He took hold of her shoulder again, and forced her to look at him.

"Ayame, tell me. You can tell me," he said, as gently as he could manage. He felt like she was about to open up to him. Somehow, he wanted to be the first person she would trust to tell him something he was sure she hadn't told anyone else. Even though he knew that it wouldn't end well. Even though he knew he only had one week before she'd be moved somewhere else. He had spent twelve years pretending that she didn't exist. He owed her this.

She wiped tears out of her eyes. "It was all my fault," she whispered, and more tears escaped from her eyes. "Mummy was cooking and I wanted to go to Kaya's house for a sleep over, but she wouldn't let me because there was going to be boys there." Sasuke felt that that was understandable. Ayame was only twelve, after all. "We started fighting, and I told her I hated her and I locked myself in my room. She kept knocking on my door and I snuck out the window. When I went past the kitchen I saw the smoke but I was so mad I pretended not to see it. I walked to Kaya's house, but when I got there her mum said that my house was on fire and mummy was still inside and didn't get out and… and… it's all my fault." She collapsed into him, sobbing her heart out onto is shoulder. "The last thing I said was that I hated her, and I don't hate her, I _don't!_ And because she thought I was in my room, she didn't look at the stove and it set on fire and… and… and it's all my fault!"

Unknowing what to do, and completely shocked by what she had just revealed to him, Sasuke put his arms around her in an embrace.

"I never got to tell her that I love her," she choked. "And now I'll never get to tell her. Please don't die, Sasuke. I don't hate you."

He fought against the lump in his throat. What could he say to that? His twelve year old daughter had been carrying such a weight on her shoulders for two months. No wonder she had been so temperamental.

Guilt from his treatment of her over the past near two months welled up inside him, stronger than ever.

"Ayame?" he said, doing his best to sound kind. "You might not believe me, but it wasn't your fault."

"Yes it _was,_" she insisted, sobbing harder onto his shoulder. "If I didn't go to _stupid_ Kaya's house, if I had called out when I saw the smoke, she would still be here, and I'd be able to tell her that I love her. I just miss her _so much,_ you don't understand."

Somehow, however, he could understand.

"You know, when I was a kid, I lost my mum too." She looked at him then, wiping snot out from under her nose.

"Really?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Yeah. She got really sick one day, and she died. I didn't really understand at the time. I just thought she'd gone away for a while, and would come back. It wasn't until I got older that I understood." He hadn't told anyone that before. It felt a bit strange for him to say it to a twelve year old.

She nodded, probably understanding how he felt. "I wish I had a photo of my mum. Everything was burned. I only had my back pack of stuff for the sleep over."

Her mentioning that sparked a memory in his mind. "I think I might have one," he said to her. "Come on, let's go."

They left the zoo quickly, and returned home in record time. As soon as they were home, Ayame stood waiting in the lounge room while Sasuke rummaged around at the back of his cupboard for a small safe.

_0-9-0-4_, he typed in for the code, and opened it up, pulling out an old and worn photograph from inside. He looked at it for a moment, a touch of fondness making its way on to his features, before he returned to where Ayame waited and handed it to her.

"You mum sent that to me soon after you were born. You can keep it if you'd like."

She gave him the first smile he'd seen on her face, and it made her look far lovelier than before.

"Thanks, Sasuke," she said, and hugged him around the middle.

That night, once Ayame had fallen asleep, he received a call.

"Hello?" he asked, on the verge of going to sleep himself.

"Uchiha," said a gruff female voice, one that Sasuke recognised instantly.

"Anko," he said in acknowledgement. "What do you want?"

Her voice sounded a little bit too happy when she said: "You'll be pleased to know that a suitable family has been found for Ayame. They've agreed to an immediate test run, starting tomorrow. Make sure that she's at the Konoha Welfare System by ten." The dial tone blared at him, and he felt his stomach drop, looking towards Ayame's closed door.

_Isn't this what you've wanted from the start?_ he asked himself. But somehow, all he could feel was hollowness when he thought about her leaving.

He didn't want her to go.

He didn't sleep that night, and when she came out of her room that morning, he told her what was happening. She looked confused.

"Don't you want me here?" she asked, and he closed his eyes.

"It's not that," he tried to reassure her. "This family, they know what they're doing. They'll know how to take care of you. I don't."

"But I don't _want_ to move again!" she screamed, stamping her foot. "All my life I wanted you to be here. And now you are. I don't _want_ to go with some other family. I want to stay here!"

He shook his head, knowing that what he was doing was best for her. He couldn't take care of her. He didn't know how to take care of her. Giving her to a family that would be able to provide for her would be the best thing for her.

"Ayame, look, you don't understand. What you want and what you need are two different things. What you need is a family. Someone who can be there for you and support you and provide for you. I can't give you that. I work twelve hours every day. I run a company. Sometimes, I'll be away from home for months on end. You need someone who can be around and who can be there for you. I can't."

"Why not?" she retaliated, and he was sensing a will as stubborn as his own.

"Because I am the co-owner of one of the biggest industries in the world. You deserve better than someone who'll only be around half the time."

"I don't see why you can't be around more."

He took a deep breath. "You're too young, Ayame. You'll understand one day. I don't want to have this argument with you. Pack your things. We're leaving."

As she turned to retrieve her bag, she shot him one of the most hateful glares he'd ever been exposed to. It was one to rival Konan's. When she emerged, she gave him back the photo of her and her mother.

"I don't want it," she spat at him, then walked out the door. Heart heavy in his chest, he followed her.

Half an hour later, when they pulled up outside the great cement complex of the Konoha Welfare system, it was to see Anko waiting for them, a family of three standing behind her.

"Ayame," she said happily, running to embrace the young girl as soon as she stepped out of the car. "It's so good to see you. I hope Sasuke's been treating you well." She shot Sasuke a threatening look over Ayame's shoulder when she said that, before turning her attention back to the girl. "Ayame, this is the Mura family. This is Yukiko, and her husband Jiro, and her daughter Nami."

Yukiko was a plain woman, with olive skin and black hair, wide-set eyes and strong cheekbones. She had a kind smile, however, which Sasuke was glad to see. Her husband, Jiro, was a stout man, with wispy brown hair and a big stomach. Nami, it seemed, took after her mother.

Ayame was silent as she approached them, and sent Sasuke an apprehensive look as she neared them. He felt his stomach clench, but managed to give an encouraging smile to her nevertheless. Anko approached him as he looked away. He didn't want to watch as another family took away his daughter.

He realised with heart pounding clarity that he would miss her.

"You're different," came Anko's gruff voice. Sasuke shrugged, looking at her. "She'll stay with them for two weeks. At the end of it, we'll sit down and see if she's compatible."

"And if not?" asked Sasuke, trying to keep the tightness out of his voice.

"Let's just hope that they are."

He nodded, and looked back at the family. Ayame had allowed herself to be hugged by Yukiko, but her posture was rigid with discomfort.

"Uchiha, I don't know what's happened in the past two months between you and Ayame, but from what I can see, the press haven't been reporting it accurately."

Sasuke shook his head. "You have no idea."

"Look, if you want to keep her and be her full time parent, it'd be a very simple process of -"

"Anko, I get what you're saying, but I wouldn't pass. I work all day, every day. I go overseas for months at a time. I can't take care of her."

"You're not the first businessman to have a child, Uchiha," she scolded, turning to face him. "You've just got to decide what's more important – her, or your work."

She walked away at that, leaving him speechless. Ayame approached him, and he snapped back to reality.

"Sasuke," she said quietly, and he kneeled down so that he could look into her eyes. "Yukiko said that, if you want, you can come around to her place to visit me."

He nodded. "I'll see if I can."

"Okay." Looking awkward, she gave him a hug before walking back towards the Mura family. Sasuke got in his car and drove home as fast as he could, not looking back, Anko's words spinning around in his head.

**.:{x}:.**

Naturally, the first person he called was Itachi.

"Yes, little brother?" said the calm voice.

"Is it possible for me to do most of my work from home?" Sasuke asked, then cursed himself. He hadn't intended to open with that line. Oh well. It was out now.

"I… suppose…" Itachi replied slowly. "Why do you ask?"

Sasuke hesitated before replying. He knew that his brother would be smug upon his admittance. "Just… Ayame has gone to another family, and I want her to stay with me. But I can't do that if I'm working at the company full time."

The telephone line was practically alive with the satisfaction Itachi emitted. Sasuke was surprised he wasn't purring.

"I'm sure that something can be arranged," Itachi eventually said. Sasuke could hear the smile in his voice.

"Good," Sasuke said, agitated, and hung up.

* * *

><p>A week later at midday, and after getting the address off Anko, Sasuke sat in his car outside a modest house in the suburbs. Steeling himself, he left his car and knocked on the front door, hands sweaty and clenched in his pockets.<p>

Yukiko answered, and smiled warmly upon seeing him. "I'll go get her," she said kindly, and walked into the depths of her house. A few moments later, Ayame appeared.

She walked towards him slowly, in a new dress. He kneeled before her, like he always did, and held out a photo. The one of her and her mother when she was a baby. "It's good to see you," he said, and she gave him a half smile, then leaned in to hug him.

"Thanks, Sasuke," she said, handling the photo with care. "You too."

"I don't know if you want to hear it or not," he said slowly, choosing his words carefully, "and I understand if you want to stay with the Mura's. But I'm going to see if I can transfer a majority of my workload so I can do it at home. If you want to stay with me, I can talk to Anko and we can try to arrange something."

Ayame smiled brighter than he had ever seen, and took his hand. The gesture took a weight off his chest. "Thanks, dad."

* * *

><p><strong>And there we have it. My first three shot. I tell you what, it was really tough keeping this story compressed into a few chapters when all my brain wanted to do was go off onto multi-chaptered tangents. Hopefully I did well, all things considered.<strong>

**Anyway, I should be coming back to fanfiction properly soon. Uni's nearly finished for the year, so I'll have more time to work on the stories I want to publish. In the meantime, a review would be lovely, especially if anyone happens to favourite this story. I truly appreciate all favourites, but reviews just feel like so much more, I'd love to hear from you if you do. So thanks for reading, thanks for (hopefully?) enjoying, and hopefully I'll see you all soon :)**

**- Sapphire xox**


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